It took me a few yrs to get comfy with them, and have had to break up several fights between them (trust me that was scary enough) one even turned on me and his head was used as a ball with my broom, but he backed down once he realized I was holding and the cards.

Your neighbor's dog backed down because of his inbred inhibition against biting humans and his feelings for you. You never held any cards at all - that broom would have splintered like a toothpick or he could have avoided it altogether at any time, not that it was more than an annoyance to him at best. It's a testament to his good nature that he didn't decide to bite you for smacking him!

Don't ever fool yourself that you hold the upper hand in a physical contest against even a medium sized athletic dog - you don't. That's one way that many people end up getting bitten.

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
ó Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.

Your neighbor's dog backed down because of his inbred inhibition against biting humans and his feelings for you. You never held any cards at all - that broom would have splintered like a toothpick or he could have avoided it altogether at any time, not that it was more than an annoyance to him at best. It's a testament to his good nature that he didn't decide to bite you for smacking him!

Don't ever fool yourself that you hold the upper hand in a physical contest against even a medium sized athletic dog - you don't. That's one way that many people end up getting bitten.

The one who had his head used as a ball didnt back down-between the broom and the hose with a high power nozel and then the gate. Dont get me wrong I dont go around abusing animals but when I have a 100 lb dog coming at me after they were just broken up from a fight you right I will use what I have. They did end up giving him to someone who was better equiped to handle him and give him the attention he needed. It was an alph male situation as they were both males. The other one I wouldnt bat an eyelash at him coming at me just the oppisite he knew that when these fights occured I came to his rescue took him home and cleaned him up until the neighbors arrived home. The point I was trying to make was dont matter the dog any dog can be vicious or attack at the drop of a hat. They get startled, scared or fear. Pit bulls are one of the most loving large breed animals that I have had and feel bad. just today in our paper a pit was fatally shot after a domestic violence suspect was spotted and when the cops knocked on the door to speak to him he took off out the back door with his pit bull on a chain. They dont know if the dog got loose of the owner let him off but it charged the officer and he drew his weapon and shot the animal not killing him, but at the owners request the dog was shot once again-dont know if the dog tried again or what the circumstances are. To many idiots take these dogs and teach them to be something other than what they should be, a family pet not a ticket to kill. I feel that those who do this should also be held accountable for their actions. Sorry took another left turn on this.

The best way to get your dad to accept the idea of a pit as a likely pet is to really do a good job with your dog (I assume Peanut is yours), as no matter what the stats on pit bull bites or the media inaccuracies, the truth is they are big, powerful dogs that take a lot of responsible handling and good training.

[/QUOTE] Now, I'm planning on getting either a pit or bulldogge in a few years when i leave for college because I've always admired their looks and sense of pride. [/QUOTE]

This is not a great idea. College and dog ownership is tough at the best of times, and college plus a pit bull is likely to be unneccessarily complicated. Most college students' lifestyles demand more freedom of movement and association than is easily accomplished with a pet, especially a dog and especially a dog who many people fear and whose safe handling and training are extremely important.

To own a Pit-bull or related like breed, the owner should have some certification of some sort from the local county government. Itís mostly true; itís the owners fault for creating an aggressive canine. In good hands, they are wonderful, lovable, gentle and loyal breed of the canine family. However, a Pit-bull attack is more devastating then a Labrador Retriever attack. Therefore, some additional measures should be taken.

__________________

Cordelia Antonietta Cajas: Rottweiler & German Shepherd"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Im sorry, but the media is not allways wrong. Just look at the stats, you will find that pit bulls rank number one in deaths caused by dog attacks. I have read many documents stating the exact number of fatalities. They should not be trusted off leash because they can be aggressive towards other dogs. If you do get a pit get one from a responsible breeder, but I would recomend a different breed.